Paper feeding and severing means for typewriting and like machines



May 22, 1951 2,554,003

F. BElEER rPAPER FEEDING AND RING MEANS FOR TYPEWRITING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1947v @f afm:

Patented May 22, 1951 PAPER FEEDING AND SEVERING MEANS FOR TYPEWRITING AND LIKE MACHINES Fred Becker, Queens Village, N. Y., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 19, 1947, Serial No. 786,964

8 Claims. (Cl. 1597-133) 1 This invention relates to typewriting machines known as continuous 'billing or manifolding machines, and more particularly to the strip-feeding and sheet-severing means in such machines.

2 work in process, as shown for example in the patents to Smith, No, 1,566,287 and Waldheim, N o. 1,619,045. However, in continuous billing machines wherein the platen is adapted to be raised Oneof the objects of the invention is to provide 5 to facilitate withdrawing a completed bill, as in an improved severing device by which the blade the Wernery et al. patent, the gearing andvother thereof may be securely held in its sheet-severing mechanism associated with the platen present difposition and may be quickly released and swung culties in swingably mounting the severing yblade to an out-of-use position to afford unobstructed and securing it in its form-tearing position. view of the work in process. l Accordingly, another object of the invention in Another object is to provide a device of this its more specific aspect is to provide an improved character by which the severing blade may be remounting means for the swingable severing elestored to the sheet-severing position merely by ment, particularly adapted for manifolding typecasual pressure of the typists finger, and will writers having the raisable platen features subbe automatically latched in that position to serve l stantially as disclosed in the Wernery et al. Patreliably in tearing off a completed form. ent No. 1,132,055.

Another object resides in providing a pivotal With the above and other objects in View, the mounting for a spring-urged bail, having detent invention will now be described with reference to means .rendered effective by the spring means to the accompanying drawings wherein one embodireleasably retain the bail in the out-of-use posiment which the invention may assume in practice tion. 4 is shown for the purposes of illustrationl A further object is to provide a pivotal mount- In the drawings: ing for a severing bail which will arrest the bail Figure 1 is a sectional View, taken on a, foreat its out-of-use position with a cushioning acand-aft plane through a continuous billing typetiony and which will yield to prevent damage to Writer embodying the invention, the bail structure in the event of over-stressing Figure 2 is a front elevational view partly in same by undue force or accidental impact. section, of the mechanisms shown in Figure 1,

In typewriters of this kind, the original and the section being taken on line 2 2 of Figure 3, the duplicate bill forms, with carbons interleaved Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figtherewith, are fed into the typewriter in a conure 1 but showing the severing device in its outtinuous strip extending around the platen cylinof-use position, der. To facilitate withdrawing the completed bill Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 vbut showand retracting the carbon sheets for re-use in ing the severing device during the restoration of typing the next form, mechanism, such asA shown same to the form-tearing position, just prior to in the patent to Werneryy et al., No. 1,132,055, is latching the device in that position, and, provided to enable the platento be raised, to thus Figure 5 is a fragmentary .perspective View of provide a, straight path for stripping the carbon the severing blade unit apart from the machine. sheets and for advancing the finished bill forms Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the typewriter to ak severing position. This forward withdrawal embodying the invention as illustrated comprises of the bill-form strip is gaged so that it will bring 40 a platen carriage 8, mounted on guideways 9 to the -bottom edge of the bill in line with the tearing travel relatively to the typing point dened by element or knife. The'platen may then be rea type-guide I9. The carriage 8 includes end stored to position to enable the usual feed rolls members ll on which a platen I2 is rotatably supto hold the manifold strip, and the complete bill ported by means hereinafter described. Feedand duplicates may thus be torn off along a line rolls I3 cooperate with the platen in the usual dividing each form. manner to line-'feed the work sheets as the platen The severing. blade is necessarily disposed close is rotated. to the platen and at the leading edge of the bill The continuous manifold strip of form bills or form tobe typed and is therefore adjacent the the like is indicated at I5 and issues from a suittyping line where it partly obscures the View of able supply at the rear of the machine. AS/

the work in process. To afford an unobstructed view of the'work and facilitate inserting the manifold strip around the platen, it is known to pivotally mount the severing blade so that it may assume a forward position away from the typing shown in detail in the Wernery et al. patent, the several plies of the manifold strip extend flor- Wardly through carbon holders [E carried on a truck or carrier I1 supported on rails i8 to travel forth and back relatively to the platen carriage.

The rails iB are carried on a frame 29 secured at its forward end to the platen carriage and guided at its rear portion by means, not shown, so that the carbon truck I 'l and the manifold strip travel laterally with the platen carriage l, Carbon sheets 2l are secured to the holders l where the carbons become interleaved with the plies of the manifold strip l5 and from which they extend forwardly to near the end of the manifold strip as it passes down around the platen l2 and up past the typing line.

As also disclosed in said Wernery patent, the platen is mounted so that it may be raised to the position shown in dot-and-dash outline in Figure 1, by means now to be described. 'in each of the end members il a stub shaft 22 is journaled, on each of which a platen knob 2e is secured, the left shaft also mounting the usual line-space ratchet wheel '24. On each shaft 22 a gear 25 is secured, which meshes with a second gear 25 which in tur-n is meshed with a third gear 21 secured to a shaft 23 by which the platen l2 is rotatably mounted. Each train of gears 25, 25, 2l enables rotating the platen by the knobs 23 in any elevational position of the platen, as well as by the usual line-space mechanism of which the artchet wheel '24 is shown. Each intermediate gear 2G is rotatably journaled on a stud or trunnion 3Q secured to the respective carriage end-members Il. Journaled on each stud 3&3 adjacent gear 25 is a plate-like hanger 3| of L-shaped outline as shown in Figure l. The hangers 3l are connected by an angle member 32 extending between the hangers and forming therewith a cradle frame for rockabiy supporting the platen, the shaft 28 of which is journaled in the hangers. A flanged plate 33 fastened on the hanger 3| provides a cover for each gear train. A front' paper shelf sup ported on the cross member 32 carries a gage bar 34 along which a gage stop 35 is adjustable. The cradle 3|, 32 is retained, with the platen l2 in typing position coacting with the feed rolls I3, by a spring-urged latching device 36, each hanger of the cradle resting on a cross rod 37 connecting the two carriage end-members il.

When the typing of the bill form at the platen is completed, the latch device Se is released and the cradle 3l, 32 is rocked forwardly to substantially the dotanddash position of Figure 1. The typist now grasps the manifold strip at its forward end and pulls the entire strip forward until its leading edge comes against the gaging stop e5. rIfhe forward ends of the carbons are displaced slightly from the end of the strip to provide a margin at which the manifold strip may be gripped without engaging the carbons. While thus holding the strip against stop e5, the carbons 2i are withdrawn from the typed bill form by moving the carbon truck il' rearwardly by means well known in the art. The platen is then lowered to its normal position at which the latching device 36 becomes reengaged, and the completed bill form from which the carbons 2l have been withdrawn is now severed from the manifold strip by tearing same against a severing device or blade 38 in the usual manner.

The organization and operation of the several mechanisms described up to this point are well known in the art of continuous billing or manifolding typewriters. No claim is made Aherein to these mechanisms, per se, except in the association of certain features thereof with the 4 novel severing device and its mounting means now to be described.

As previously mentioned, the severing blade 38 is retained in the Figure l. position to serve in tearing off the completed bill form and when not in use many be swung forwardly to the Fige ure 3 position to afford a clearer View of the typing work in process. The structure for pivotally mounting the blade 38 comprises a camedged plate 4B, embodying a stationary element of the mounting means, rigidly secured by suitable means to the stud or trunnion 38 at the end thereof adjacent the hanger 3l, a collar or spacing member 4I being provided between the two members 3| and 4, On each plate 4i) is fastened a threaded stud 42 to provide a pivot for a bail comprising the blade 38.

As shown best in Figure 5 the severing blade 33 has secured thereto at each end an angle piece, one leg of which is secured to the blade S8 and the other leg provides an arm 43 of the bail by which the latter is mounted on the plate lll). The arm 43 has an elongate arcuate slot 44 engaged on the pivot screw 12, a nut on the screw being turned up lightly against the arm. A tension spring 45 anchored at one end, on pivot screw 42, has its other end fastened to the arm 43 by a pin 45. The spring 45 is arranged as hereinafter described and tends to pull the blade 38 generally toward the pivot 42 to anextent limited by the bottoming of the slot 44 against the pivot.

Each bail arm 43 has a latch dog 41 offset laterally from the arm so as to be coplanar with the plate I40 and adapted to engage in a notch 48 in the plate under the tension of spring 45. The notch 48 is of a width just ample to receive the dog 41, with the two opposed edges of the notch engaging opposite faces of the dog. The lower edge of notch 48 forms a stop 5l? extending substantially radially with reference to pivot 42 to an extent ample to stop the blade bail as it is swung clockwise from the Figure 3 position, even with the bail urged outwardly against the spring tension to the limit permitted by slot 44, as demonstrated in Figure 4. The notch edge 5l terminates at a distance from pivot 42 such that it will be clear of dog 41 when the bail is pressed radially away from its pivotal axis. The rightward edge of plate 45 defines a cam eccentric with reference to pivot 42 .and ascending gradually from a low point 52 until it reaches the high point at edge 5l Where it meets the notch 48. Leftward of the point 52 the periphery of plate 46 may be of any desired shape such as will clear the latch dog 41 and `thus allow free counterclockwise swing of the bail to the Figure 3 position.

When the bail is swung to its out-of-usel position, Figure 3, it isstopped there by the engagement of a notched shoulder 53 on the bail arm 43 with a pin 54 projecting from the cam plate 4D. The relative locations of shoulder 53 and pin 54 may be determined so as to arrest the bail in whichever position affords the greatest vision of the worl; for the typist, without obstructing the path of the type bars to the typing point.

ft may be here noted by reference to Figure 3, that the stopping of the bail as it engages the stop pins 54 is cushioned somewhat by the coac: tion of spring 45 at the instant of stopping. To accomplish this action the line of pull of spring 45, as determined by the location of pin 45 on arm 43, is preferably at an acute angle from a line radiating from pivot 42 and passing'through the stop pin 54; This angle may be modified somewhat from about a right angle to a relatively narrow acute angle but should be determined with the view to causing spring 45 to also draw latch dog 4i radially against cam edge 5l, 52 and into notch 48. To demonstrate this cushioning action of spring 45, it may be assumed that a blade 38 is being brought to the Figure 3 position .with an appreciable degree of force. As the bail is stopped by the pin 54, it will tend to pivot about the pin and thus react on spring 45 so as to momentarily further tension same. This yield of spring 45 allows the bail blade 38 to whip past its normal stop position. vThis action is accommodated by the slot 44 being elongate and arcuate with its curvature centered in notch 53. When, through the combined action of the parts as described, the spring 45 and pin 54 overcome the force of the dropping bail, the latter will be brought to its normal, Figure 3, position as the spring- 45 relaxes its added tension and the left end of slot -44 again bottoms on pivot 42. This yielding action is also effective to prevent damage to the bail structure in the event that it is subto the normal pivotal axis of the bail, that is, the

pivot 42 positioned at the leftward end of slot 44 as viewed in Figure 3. This eccentric periph-eral portion is that embraced by a bracket 55, having a radius of curvature somewhat less than the distance of notch 53 from the axis 42 and having its center of curvature displaced from axis 42 in the direction in which the slot 44 extends from said pivot and so positioned that at each limit of the eccentric portion the cam will be concentric with the pivot axis. As the bail is swung toward and approaches the out-of-use position, cam portion 55 reacts against pin 54 so as to cause the bail to move radially leftward` against the tension of spring 45 as accommodated by slot 44. After the highfportionof cam 55 passes pin 54 the radial movement of the bail, under tension of spring 45, is now rightward and continues until the notch 53 straddles pin 54. Thus, the effect of cam 55 and spring 45 in coaction with pin 54 is to detent the bail in the Figure 3 position, resisting unintended displacement of the bail.

When it is desired to restore the severing blade 38 to its in-use position, the typist need only pull the bail bodily leftward a slight extent to release it from the detenting effect and meanwhile swing the blade upwardly and then rearwardly. As the blade bail begins to swing downwardly and the latch dog 41 coacts with cam-edge 5l, 52 of plate 40, the gradual rise of the cam overcomes the tension of spring 45, and the bail thus quickly arrives at the in-use position against stop 50, see Figure 4, At this instant spring 45 is fully tensioned in readiness to cause the bail dog 47 to snap into the notch 48. The dog 4'! ts closely in the notch, thus holding the blade 58 with a positiveaction obviating any chance of displacement during the use of the blade in tearing on the typed bill forms.

Moving the blade to its out-of-use position may be effected with equal facility, it being necessary for the typist only to urge the blade bail radially from the pivot axis, against the tension of spring 45, to the limit defined by the slot 44, see Fig-ure 4. The latch dogs 4l' are thus brought clear of the notches 48 and the bail may be raised and swung rearwardly in an easy manipulation, allowing thebail dogs 41 to ride along the camedges of plates 40. After being swung pastdead center the bail, if of ample weight, may be al.- lowed to drop until arrested and detented in the Figure 3 position, as previously described.

Although the invention is illustrated and described in its present embodiment in an Underwood Fanfold typewriting machine as exemplified in the Wernery et al. patent, it will be understood that the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention may be modified in various other forms and may be embodied in other machines Without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a bail including a severing blade, of means for mounting said bail for movement between a severing position and an out-ofuse position and for retaining the bail at either of said positions, said mounting and retaining means comprising a stationary element adjacent each end of the bail, means associated with each of said stationary elements for pivoting the bail and' for allowing limited movement of the bail radially relatively to the pivotal axis, a spring at each end of the bail urging the bail to one limit of its radial movement, and means including parts of said stationary elements for effecting radial displacement of the bail against the force of said springs and for releasably retaining the bail at either the severing or the out-of-use position.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a bail including a severing blade, of lmeans for mounting said bail for movement between a severing position and an out-ofuse position andfor retaining the bail at either of said positions, said mounting and retaining means comprising a'stationary element adjacent each end of the bail, means associatediwith each of said stationary elements for pivoting the bail and for allowing limited movement of the bail radially relatively to the pivotal axis,v spring means urging said bail to one limit of its radial movement, means rendered eective by said spring means to automatically lock the bail in its severing position to said stationary elements, means including a part of said stationary elements to stop the bail in its out-o-use position, and means on the bail coacting with said part and rendered effective by said spring means to detent the bail in its out-of-use position.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a bail including a severing blade, of means for mounting said bail for movement to and from a severing position and for retaining the bail at said position, said mounting and retaining means comprising a stationary element adjacent each end of the bail, means asso- 'ciated with each of said stationary elements for pivoting the bail and for allowing limited movement of the bail radially relatively to the pivotal axis, a spring at each end of the bail urging.

ment between a severing position and an out-oiuse position, said' mountingmeans comprising a stationary element adjacent each end of the bail, means associated with each of said stationary elements for pivoting the bail and for allowing limited movement ofl the -bail radially relatively to the pivotal axis, spring means urging said bail to one limit of its radial movement, means rendered eiective by said spring means to automatically lock the bail in its severing position to said stationary elements, and means including a part of said stationary elements to stop the bail` in its out-of-use position, the arrangement of the bail-pivoting means and the spring means in relation to said stop means being such that the bail may rock bodily beyond the out-ofuse position against the tension of said spring means.

5. Ina machine of the character described, the combinationl with a bail including a severing blade, of means for mounting said bail for movement to and from a form-severing position and releasably retaining the blade in said position, said mounting and retaining means comprising a stationary element adjacent each end oi the bail, means associated with each said element for pivoting the bail and allowing limited movement of the bail radially relatively to the pivotal axis, spring means urging said bail to one limit of its radial movement, a notch in at least one of said stationary elements, and a dog at thel corresponding end of said bail adapted to enter said notch under inuence of said spring means to retain the bail in its severing position.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a bail including a severing blade, of means for mounting said bail for movement between a severing position and an out-ofuse position and for yieldably stopping the bail in the out-of-use position, said mounting and stopping means comprising a stationary element adjacent each end of the bail, means associated with each of said stationaryy elements for pivoting the bail and for allowing limited movement of the bail radially relatively to the pivotal axis, spring means urging said bail to one limit of its radial movement, and means including a part of said stationary elements to stop the bail in its out-of-use position, the arrangement of the bailpivoting means and the spring means in relation to said stop means being such that the bail may rook bodily beyond the out-of-use position against the tension of said spring means.

7. In a machine of the character described, the

combination with a bail including a severing blade, of means for mounting said bail forymcvement to and from severing position and releasably retaining the bail in said position, said mounting and retaining means comprising a stationary plate adjacent each end of the bail, a pin and slot forming a pivotal connection between the bail and each of said plates, spring means acting on said bail to normally urge the slot to bottom at one end on said pin, and a latch dog at each end of said bail, said platesv each having a cam adapted to cooperate with the corresponding said dog when the bail is swung to severing position and effective to move the bail radially of the pivotal connection against'the tension of said spring, each plate also havingl a notch at the highA point of said cam to receive the latch dog for locking the bail in the severing position.

8. In a machine of the character described having a rotatable platen and cooperating :feed rolls, and means including stationary trunnions mounting the platen for movement substantially away from the feed rolls, the combination with a bail including a severing blade, of'means mounting the bail for movement to and from a formsevering position and for releasably retaining the bail in said position, said mounting and retaining means ccmprising a plate secured to each of said trunnions, a pin and slot forming a pivotal and sliding connection between the bail and each of said plates, spring means acting on said bail to normally urge the slot to bottom at onerend on said pin, and a latch dog at each end of said bail, saidl plates each having a cam adapted to cooperate with the corresponding said dog when the bail is swung to severing position and eiectiveV to move the bail radially of the pivotal connection against the tension of said spring means, each plate also having a notch at the high point of said cam to receive the'latch dogl for locking the bail in the severing position.

FRED BECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,619,530 Myersv Mar. 1, 1927 1,916,371 Helmond July 4, 1933 2,360,196 Brumhill Oct. 10,1944 

